W&L Football Wins 45-42 4 OT Shootout Over Hampden-Sydney

Senior Luke Heinsohn (Charlottesville, Va./Covenant) rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns and kicked a game-winning 37-yard field goal to lift Washington and Lee to a 45-42 four-overtime victory over Hampden-Sydney on Saturday at Wilson Field.

The win, coupled with a Bridgewater loss to Randolph-Macon, gives the Generals their second ODAC Championship in three years.

W&L (7-2, 5-1) committed two first half turnovers and fell behind 17-0 following a 2-yard touchdown run by Hampden-Sydney (6-3, 4-2) senior running back Evan King (Lewisburg, W.Va./Episcopal) with 10:01 left in the first half. The Generals then got on the board with 2:35 left in the half on a 3-yard Heinsohn touchdown run. The PAT was blocked and the Tigers carried a 17-6 lead into the break.

W&L received the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 78 yards on 11 plays as another 3-yard touchdown plunge by Heinsohn sliced it to a 17-13 game with 9:27 left in the quarter. W&L junior cornerback Lee Peaseley (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) then picked off H-SC sophomore quarterback Nash Nance (Calhoun, Ga./Tennessee) four plays later on the W&L 43-yardline.

Washington and Lee took its first lead of the game eight plays later when Heinsohn scored his third touchdown of the game, this time on a 35-yard run with 4:25 left in the quarter.

Hampden-Sydney took the lead right back, covering 71 yards on 11 plays as King capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 24-20 lead with 14 seconds left in the quarter. W&L senior running back Brett Murray (Lookout Mountain, Tenn./Baylor) returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to the H-SC 32-yardline, but the Tigers held on a 4th-and-2 from the 7-yardline to preserve the lead.

Following the stop, the Tigers strung together a 16-play, 81-yard drive that ate up 8:06 from the clock. The drive ended with a 24-yard field goal by sophomore placekicker Max Antwerpes (Mainz, Germany/Kenston Forest) that made it a 27-20 game with 4:31 remaining.

The Generals then reeled off a 10-play, 69-yard drive that resulted in a fourth Heinsohn touchdown, this time from 3-yards out with 39 seconds remaining. He then booted the ensuing PAT to knot the game at 27-27 and the Tigers took a knee following a penalty on their kick return as the teams headed to overtime.

W&L got the ball first in overtime and drove to the Hampden-Sydney 1-yardline before Heinsohn was stopped on 4th-and-goal. The Tigers attempted a 36-yard field goal by Antwerpes after gaining just six yards on their first possession, but the kick sailed wide left.

The Tigers then scored on the first play of the second overtime as Nance found sophomore wide receiver Holton Walker (Lynchburg, Va./Brookeville) with a 25-yard strike for a 34-27 lead. W&L responded four plays later as Murray scampered 20 yards for a touchdown on 4th-and-5 to knot the score at 34-34.

W&L had the first possession of the third overtime session and converted on an 8-yard touchdown run by Murray for a 40-34 lead. Per the rules, a team must go for two points after the second overtime and Heinsohn converted on a rush for a 42-34 advantage. The Tigers found paydirt three plays later when Nance scored on a quarterback keeper from 1-yard out and King scored the two-point conversion run to tie the score once again at 42-42.

In the final overtime session, the Generals defense stiffened and forced a 43-yard field goal attempt by Antwerpes, who missed short and wide left. After gaining five yards on three plays, Heinsohn booted the winning field goal from 37-yards out.

Heinsohn paced the Generals offense which gained 464 yards, including 451 yards on the ground. In addition to his 192 rushing yards, he also scored 33 points in the game, setting a new school record and eclipsing the former mark of 32 held by Tom Mason since the 1993 season. Junior quarterback Nick Lombardo (Duluth, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) amassed a career-high 170 yards on 30 carries, while Murray notched 64 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Senior safety Jake Pelton (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) led the Generals' defense with 10 tackles.

Hampden-Sydney gained 410 yards of offense led by Nance, who completed 24-of-38 passes for 262 yards and one touchdown (1 INT). He also rushed for 28 yards and a score. King tallied 55 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, and Walker snared six balls for 73 yards and one score. Senior linebacker Alex Price (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) and junior safety Charlie Shoemaker (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) led the defense with 14 tackles each.

Washington and Lee will conclude the regular season on Saturday when it hosts Shenandoah for a 1:00 pm contest.